Honours

Tokyo, garden of the Imperial Palace

2019, Member of Editorial Team, Gusts Tanka Canada

Since beginning of 2014 (issue 19), Janick was a member of the Editorial Team of Gusts Tanka Canada, biannual publication edited by poetess from Vancouver, Kozue UZAWA.

This Canada's First English Tanka Journal was founded in Spring 2005. To visit the site Gusts Tanka Canada

Janick stepped down five years later with issue 28.

2017, Center section (Gold) red lights, tanka magazine, U.S.

Five bilingual Tanka by Janick Belleau published in the specialised magazine, red lights, June 2017, pp. 33-34.

I thank the editor in chief, Marilyn Hazelton.

To read my tanka, please click Five bilingual tanka Janick Belleau, red lights magazine

2014, 3rd Prize. Tanka Award. Association Lyon-Japon, 2014

2nd International Tanka Competition in French sponsored by the Association Lyon-Japon, 2014. On the theme of « the morning »

La mirabilis
resplendissante la nuit
triste le matin
où je ne la verrai plus
perdant peu à peu la vue

© Janick Belleau, 2014

2013, Honourable Mention. Mainichi Haiku Contest. Japan 2013

17th edition of the annual contest of the Mainichi Shimbun (Mainichi Daily News)

pour être moins seule
j’écoute du jazz chanté –
tournesol d’hiver

© Janick Belleau, 2013

In the International section, more than 300 haiku in French and 900 in English were submitted.

To read the results of the contest, please, click here: Contest Results for 2013

2013, 2nd Prize.Tanka Contest. Association Lyon-Japon, 2013

Internatinal contest in French on the theme of « the sea »

Doux matin d’été –
au sommet de ‘ leur ’ rocher
dans l’adieu final
l’enfant confie à la mer
les cendres de son papa

© Janick Belleau, 2013

To our knowledge, it is the first tanka competition to be held in French since many decades ago. JB was the only winner from Canada.

Number of poems submitted by poets: more than 100.

2013, Second Prize. Betty-Drevniok Award/Haiku Canada 2013

cold winter day
she phones her mother who says:
« who are you? »

© Janick Belleau, 2013

To read all winning haiku, please go to Results for 2013

Betty Drevniok was one of the three founders in 1977 of the national association, Haiku Canada.

2012, Mention of Excellence. Society of Tanka Poets of Japan Competition, 2012

my Christmas wish:
sleeping in each other’s arms
before
one of us forgets or dies
or the planet pops off

© Janick Belleau, 2012

Number of tanka submitted by different poets: 589

7th International Tanka Festival and Contest in Japan. The event is held every 3 years.

2012, First Prize. Jocelyne-Villeneuve Award/Haiku Canada 2012

d’un automne à l’autre
tant de feuilles à ramasser
le râteau plus lent

© Janick Belleau, 2012

The Judge's Comment in French

First edition of the annual contest which honours the memory of Jocelyne Villeneuve (1941-1998), one of the haiku pioneers in French Canada.

To read all winning poems, click on Haiku Canada site: Results for 2012 Contest

2012, Co-editor of Take Five - Best contemporary tanka 2011

Coeditor of Take Five - tanka anthology, volume 4, 2011, directed by M. Kei (U.S.). Along with tanka colleagues Patricia Prime (NZ), Magdalena Dale (Romania), Amelia Fielden (AUS/JP), Claire Everett (UK), Owen Bullock (NZ), David Terelinck (AUS) and David Rice (U.S.).

Task: The editorial team reads, nominates and selects tanka published in English, in 2011, around the world… which amounts to nearly 18 000 tanka; less than 400 published in the 2012 anthology.

2011, Published in Take Five - Best contemporary tanka 2010

Take Five 2010 – tanka anthology, Volume 3 (Modern English Tanka Press, US, 2011). One tanka selected. Number of tanka read in English by poets/coeditors from around the world: 18 000. Only 300 or so tanka made it into the anthology.
JB’s tanka originally published in Ribbons – Tanka Society of America, Winter 2010

harsh winter
for several days
staying in bed, ill
I put red lipstick on
not wanting to look like Dad

© Janick Belleau, 2010

2010, Canada-Japan Literary Award 2010 for D’âmes et d’ailes/of souls and wings

JB, winner of the Canada-Japan Literary Award 2010 (French-language section) for her bilingual collection D’âmes et d’ailes /of souls and wings. The book is composed of a HERstory of tanka since the IXth century and of 91 tanka by the author.

This Canada-Japan Award recognizes literary excellence by Canadian writers who are writing on Japan, Japanese themes, or themes that promote mutual understanding between Japan and Canada. The funds for these awards come from the investment return on that portion of the Japan-Canada Fund set aside as an endowment for a literary award; the winner receives an amount of 10 000$. The Canada Council for the Arts administers this coveted award – an expression of friendship between two countries.

For pictures of the ceremony and comments of the Ambassador ISHIKAWA Kaoru click here

2010, Honorable Mention. SAIGYO Awards for Tanka. USA 2010

3rd Saigyo Tanka Contest in the States.

raging wind
swirling towards the ground
leaves
in their last cycle
my white hair

© Janick Belleau, 2010

Comments of the President of the Jury, Carolyn Thomas: « I ‘see’ the wind because of the leaves. The poet ‘sees’ (the) transitory nature because of the leaves. (The poet) can ‘see’ the end of (the) physical life approaching, and we know that because of ‘my white hair’. Each line of the poem gives meaning to the previous line. This is what strikes me about this tanka. »

Number of tanka submitted by different poets: 436.

2009, Published in Take Five - Best contemporary tanka, 2009

Take Five 2008 – tanka anthology, Volume 1 (Modern English Tanka Press, US, 2009). One tanka selected. Number of tanka read in English by poets/coeditors from around the world: 14 000. Only 300 of them are selected.
JB’s tanka originally published in Gusts 7 – contemporary tanka, Spring/Summer 2008

Good Friday black cat
crossing the boulevard
in a great hurry
we go shopping
for our big fat gay wedding

© Janick Belleau, 2008

2009, Award «Haiku Kat nomade», Marco Polo Magazine. France 2009

5th International French Haiku Contest of Marco Polo Magazine


forêt tropicale –
repas du perroquet Jaco
une orchidée

© Janick Belleau, 2009

2008, Honourable Mention. Mainichi Haiku Contest. Japan 2008

International Section of the 12th Haiku Contest of the Mainichi Shimbun

après le boulot
davantage voutée l’ainée
ciel chargé de pluie

© Janick Belleau, 2008

2007, Honourable Mention. Haiku Contest of Mainichi. Japan 2007

International section of the 11th Haiku Contest of the Mainichi Daily News in Tokyo.

vieil amant
perdant sa douce vieille
châtaignes au sol

© Janick Belleau, 2007

2006, Second Prize. Mainichi Haiku Contest. Japan 2006

10th annual competition of international Haiku sponsored by the prestigious Mainichi Shimbun, Tokyo

il pleut à torrents
sent-elle l’humidité
l’âme du défunt

© Janick Belleau, 2006

2006, Award «Nuages». Haiku Contest Marco Polo Magazine. France 2006

2nd International Haiku Contest organised by Marco Polo Magazine.

au-dessus du lac
entre brunante et brouillard
maisons fantômes

© Janick Belleau, 2006